We know that soil erosion is the ultimate fate of practically all soils. In the past, erosion occurred at slower rates than it does today because more of the land surface was covered and protected by trees, shrubs, grasses, and other plants. However, human activities such as farming, logging, and construction, which remove or disrupt the natural vegetation, have greatly accelerated the rate of soil erosion. Without the stabilizing effect of plants, the soil is more easily swept away by the wind or carried downslope by sheet wash